Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-06-13

sees III Ia ask the publisher for While
hattering Ia the authors vanity To b,
thus ia d''land. the requests received
even 10y authors of litt!e renuwn, il hon
ored, will often deprive him of all his
profits from the copyright. for. beyond A
stipulated number of copies given to him
by the publisher. he has tu pay the trade
price for all other copies of his work.
Generally inexperienced or unthiuking
authors ''gnsaway' with these presenta
tlnn books a. their profits. unless indeed
a work Reaches several editions
AT round table gathering of authors
all nf more or less prominence and popu-
larity. in the Authors club the other
night, the general complaint WAS the
nuisance "f appeals for presentation copies
from strangers and institutions not Of the
slightest interest 10 them Each admit
ted that 1t was an infection to their van
lty To refuse or ignore many of these re
quests, while rrgrerting the fact that com
pliancc would entail peCuniary loss The
dram mltic author. il he has the privilege
| from the management. may give passes 10
the theatre which is playing his produc-
| ton without eniailinS direct loss Ia either
the manager or himself ii there is no, a
| large. popular demand of the seats. but
| the publisher Of a book regil Is each vol
ume ms worth 81 much for old paper.
AMI Is not disposed tn part with enc with
| "nt the quId pr" quo ~ even selling for
! junk adds Jn~t 81 much Ia the profits and
| There II always a sale for old paper.
Each Puhlishirs house has a form of
| contract peculiar ~ itself ia its style and
plraSrnlngy. hut the conditions are gen
orally the same ia this country In Eng
land II IL not uncommon for authors and
publishers II bring out the works of the
former On shares, equally dividing the
profits and expenses. but in this country
II is the rule that the publishers issue the
work at their own risk and expense pay-
ing the author royalty On conditions
named. The chief difference in the con-
tracts of the publishers i'll this country is
that the authors shall assign them the /
right To take ont the copyright or that !
the author himself shall hold it. In either |
case there iS a stipulation 10 the effect that !
If at the expiration of a certain period, /
generally two years or five years, the pub /
fishers ,io not lind the publication of the .
work profitable, they can discontinue de- /
stroy the plates and sell the books on .
hand at auction or for old paper. giving
the author the option of buying both at
cost price or for deduction of from 10 to-
10 him or restored 10 him.
In both countries a stipulated number
of copies are given To the author: any
more he can obtain under contract at the
trade or retail price. This number varies
from six to twelve copies. ON which il is
stipulated no ROYALTY is to be paid. as also
on the number distributed by the pub
Usher in his discretion 10 the critics for
review. In some cases the publisher re-
serves the right TO exempt from ROYALTY
copies sent as samples To schools and i'll
stitutIonS which might need the work.
statements are made to the author semi
annually and the amount due him paid
four months thereafter, and then if he
has heen liberal in complying with the re
quests from friends and institutions he
finds to his diSmay that the credit bal
ances the debit account and there il moth
ing coming To him, or mayhap that he is
in debt To the publisher beyond the six OF
twelve COZ les allowed him.
Adding the deduction in his ROYALTY on ,
the work, if sold, and its cost TO him 10
the mail expenses, the liberal or consid-
crate author can consume the percentage
coming to him from the publisher by COM
plying with these requests. The account
he receives is very explicit, and is divided I
into state cnents'of books on hand at the ,
last statement, books printed since the {
last statement. volumes given away or 7
sold not subject to royalty and the bal |
ance on hand. Then follows statement
Of tine account with the author of books
sold subject to royalty, sold subject to re- I
iuced royalty and sold 10 author Every 5
copy Of the edition is accounted for, like
the seats i'll a theatre when a return is r
made to the star. Editions, it may he
stated, vary. Formerly an edition was
at LOGO copies. Many publish
ars issue Z, 500 as an edition, although the :
Adition really consists of the number of h
copies consecutivcly printed, and may
nm as high as 10000 The authors row n
,lty averages 10 per cent on the retail
Jrics
Other clauses in the contract which NAV 81
interest the reader provide that the cost 5
# alterations in the type or plates after
he delivery of the manuscript above $50
are charged Ia the author if made by him; A
hat no insurance on the work shall be D
'ifeCted on joint account; that if the plates A
- forms shall he rendered valueless by D
ire or otherwise the publisher has the OBJ y
ion 10 reproduce them or surrender the :,
upyright: that no ROYALTY is 10 be paid on .
-olume~ destroyed by fire or water: that Il
he author must share with the publisher
he eX. Z ;lses Of any suit he may bring for
Infringement Of copyright and as well re
GIVE AN equal share of the profits arising :
herefrom: that the author or the heirs IL
gree 10 renewals of the copyright under =,
lac same terms. In charging To the au-
hor alterations in the type or plates
boVe so expenditure the publisher often :,
aVes himself from considerable expense. -
= many authors are inclined 10 com " =
let-lN rrwriie their proof. u
The main point in the publisher : agree q
nent with the author in This country is r
hat he shall publish the work al his own II
iSk and expense, and compel him To share
lis loss if there is any II is needless Ia a
Id that the publisher never gives ~
way any copies that will cost him any =,
hing in his accounting with the author
sually works Of. travel or biography =
ave a steady, if limited, Sermanent de e
l8nd. while novels flourish for ii season
nd those unsold find their way 10 the ~
unk shop. The plates are never de- =
trCyed ~ long as there is prospect Of n u
emand for the work When the demand ~
eases the plates are melted for recas;ing, r
nd frequently demand springing up
rom some ephemeral cause the work i